Profile
Since 1999, The U.S. Captioning Company has been instrumental in providing high quality captioning services at affordable rates. Over the years, they have expanded their services to meet the needs of clients who value the importance of supplying an accessible means of communication for deaf and hard of hearing communities. Through The U.S. Captioning Company’s services, patrons are given access to television programs, educational courses, church services, work seminars, sporting events, and more. Their services also reach out to English as second language learners and benefit children who are learning how to read.
Challenges
The U.S. Captioning Company has been expanding its post-production department to meet growing needs and the requirements of the FCC guidelines. There is now the expectation that any content delivered with more than 24 hours between taping and air needs to be closed captioned before airing. Also, real-time closed captioning services must meet specific quality guidelines for accuracy, consistency, etc. To monitor quality, The U.S. Captioning Company requests airchecks from their clients. Departments are required to transfer large video files electronically in order to meet quality standards. Additionally, these files being sent cannot be broken down into smaller pieces or be overly compressed – making transfers even more challenging.
Solutions
Before implementing a FileCatalyst solution, The U.S. Captioning Company was manually managing files in their system and relying on their clients or vendors to confirm that a file had been uploaded. To alleviate the challenges of manually managing their file transfers, The U.S. Captioning Company chose to use FileCatalyst Direct to send their large video files securely and reliably, at speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
Results
FileCatalyst streamlined The U.S. Captioning’s workflow by eliminating the need to manually initiate every file transfer. Through the use of the FileCatalyst Direct application FileCatalyst HotFolder, The U.S. Captioning Company was able to automate file transfers and create a hands-off process that routes files to their correct locations with an automated alert, as well as archiving capabilities. With email alerts, they were able to overcome issues associated with moving a file prior to the completion of the transfer. Employees no longer need to monitor their FTP transfers, and FileCatalyst guarantees successful deliveries. When a file transfer is complete, each file is verified using an MD5 checksum – ensuring there is no data corruption.
“Implementing FileCatalyst has saved us time, increased our productivity and decreased stress, all of which have provided cost savings to the company,” said Jenny Carson from U.S. Captioning Company. “I am also pleased to say that every interaction with a FileCatalyst team member has been wonderful. Everyone has been friendly, knowledgeable, and prompt in communication.”